Sam Wu is NOT Afraid of Sharks!. Katie Tsang

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      Astro Blast Simulator

      and a change of

      trousers), I had to

      prove my bravery

      by getting a snake

      sidekick and

      becoming a certified

      ghost-hunter.

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      It’s kind of a long story. All you need to

      know is that I proved how BRAVE I am.

      But apparently, bravery is something you

      have to prove over and over again.

      I thought everything would go back to

      normal and I’d never have to hear the words

      ‘Scaredy-Cat Sam’

      again. But then we had a school trip to

      the aquarium. And that was when things

      really went wrong.⁴

      It should have been a perfect day. I wasn’t

      100 per cent sure what to expect at the

      aquarium, but my best friend Bernard swore

      it was going to be

      ⁴ But not quite as wrong as they went at the Space Museum.

      Maybe I should stop going on school trips.

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      AMAZING.

      Up until this point I’d had exactly three

      experiences with the deep sea:

      1. On my favourite show,

      there was once an episode where they flew

      to a water planet and met a flying space

      sea turtle named Stephanie. There was

      also an Evil Shark Lord

      who was in cahoots with the

      Ghost King⁵. It was a great episode. Most people would have found it TERRIFYING, but I was only a little bit scared.

      ⁵ He’s the number one-enemy in the universe, according to Captain Jane, Spaceman Jack and ME. But Evil Shark Lord is probably enemy number two.

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      ,

      2. The beaches in Hong Kong (where my family

      is from) very sensibly have shark nets. To

      keep out the sharks. My little sister Lucy

      wondered what would happen if a shark

      got IN the shark net, but I told her that

      was impossible.⁶

      3. When I asked Na-Na (that‘s my grandma –

      she lives with us) what an aquarium was,

       she told me it was like the big fish tanks

       at the seafood restaurants in Chinatown,

       which we go to on special occasions.

      Na-Na always picks out a fish that is STILL

       SWIMMING in a fish tank for us to have

       for dinner. One time I named the fish, but

       then it came out on a plate, so I don‘t name

       the fish from the tank ANY MORE.

      ⁶ It actually sounded very possible and EXTREMELY scary. But I didn‘t

      want to worry her so I put on a brave face. All part of being a big brother.

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      So I thought that the aquarium was

      going to be like a giant fish tank where you

      picked out your dinner. When I told Bernard and Zoe that their mouths dropped open.

      ‘EW!’ said Zoe.

      I frowned. ‘Zoe, you eat fish. Just

      yesterday you had fish fingers for lunch,’

      I said.

      ‘That’s different!’ she spluttered. We were

      on the bus on our way to the aquarium.

      ‘How?’ I said.

      ‘It just IS! Tell him, Bernard,’ she said.

      Bernard frowned and

      then took out his thinking glasses. He only wears them when he is thinking VERY HARD.

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      ‘Well,’ he said. ‘Fish fingers come in a box.

       So obviously it is a completely different

       thing.’

      ‘Yeah!’ said Zoe. ‘And fish

      don’t even have fingers.’

      ‘Exactly! Why are they

      called fish fingers?’ I said,

      wiggling my own fingers.

      ‘I don’t know,’ Zoe said loudly (the more

      unsure about something she is, the louder she gets). ‘They just are. But I do

      know you don’t eat the

      fish at the aquarium.’

      I shrugged. ‘Try telling Na-Na that.’

      And then we arrived at the aquarium.

      CHAPTER 3

      alIEn eNcOUNter

      From the outside, the aquarium looked a

      lot like the Space Museum. It was a BIG

      building and we had to queue up to go inside.

      ‘Hey, Sam СКАЧАТЬ